Contributed by: InaGreendaseBrian(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on January 4th 2011It makes sense that Lavinia's members come from all sorts of bands like Caspian, Eksi Ekso, the Burning Paris and others, because there's a wide variety of styles and influences in this melting pot EP, There Is Light Between Us. But it comes out strong.
Opener "Destroy Yourself" carries through w.

It makes sense that Lavinia's members come from all sorts of bands like Caspian, Eksi Ekso, the Burning Paris and others, because there's a wide variety of styles and influences in this melting pot EP, There Is Light Between Us. But it comes out strong.

Opener "Destroy Yourself" carries through with a dark hushness that reminds me of the verses of Thrice's "Backdraft," or the Out_Circuit perhaps. Granted, that's probably just due to a shared array of influences: You can hear a shitload of different bands inspiring this EP, and that's part of what makes it great. It's a fusion of post-metal, shoegaze, brooding post-punk and post-rock styles and it actually blends into a pretty unique thing. "Destroy Yourself" eventually adds some eerie strings, and it brings Cult of Luna to mind, while "Fires" has a guitar tone at one point that's straight Pornography.

Other bands you're bound to hear include Jesu and My Bloody Valentine, since there's a droning quality to this EP, but it's never overdone. Subtle, quick crescendos of volume pulse in "A Damning Confession," with a haunting procession and a restrained liveliness to it all.

The only problem I might have with this EP is that it almost never seems to really explode. Tracks like "Fires" build to a sinister boil, but they aren't cooking anything. The banjo accompanied-closer "Bone & Arrow" does build to a pretty surefire climax, however, making up for the lack of culminating happening before it.

A very cool debut, and probably my favorite thing I've heard from these players so far, actually.